The Best Burger In The ENTIRE World

I like to think of myself as a sort of 'burger connoisseur'. I absolutely love a good burger and am slightly ashamed to say I've eaten a fair few in my life. Over the last few years I have been acquiring tips and tricks to perfect the ultimate burger and this summer I decided to give it a go.

Suffice to say the results were stunning. If you're going to take on the burger, you have to do it properly. I made my own brioche buns, I baked my own onion rings, I perfected my burger sauce recipe and I even ground my own meat.

This is not a recipe for the faint hearted as it is a bit time consuming. However it's very easy and is certainly worth the wait. If you, like me, are a little bit obsessed with everything burger related, this recipe is for you.

Of course a burger is a very personal thing and I have to say that this recipe can be looked upon as a good base. Feel free to add bacon, avocado, fried egg, mushrooms, chorizo, pulled pork or, indeed, the kitchen sink!

Whatever you do, trust me - you need this in your life! 

(Be warned the brioche buns do need to be started on the morning of the day you wish to eat this burgers so if you don't have time, buy ready made buns)

The Best Burger In The Entire World

Makes 8

For the brioche buns:

500g strong white flour50g caster sugar

4 large eggs

4 tsp water

1 tsp salt

3 tsp fast action yeast

250g butter, softened

1 beaten egg, for egg wash

For the burger:

300g pork shoulder

600g braising steak

For the onion rings:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp smoked paprika

4 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

4 eggs

2 cups breadcrumbs (try and find panko)

4 tbsp olive oil

3 large sweet onions, sliced ¼ to ½ inch thick

For the burger sauce:

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp mayonaise

1 tbsp mini pickles, chopped

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

Garnish:

Lettuce

Tomato

Cheese (I go for a really strong cheddar)

Start with the buns. Place all the ingredients into a bowl. By hand you need to get your hand in and work the mixture together until its even, and then knead it in the bowl for 5 mins.  It’s very sticky to begin with but definitely worth the effort. After 5 minutes beating the dough will be starting to look much more like dough. Take it out of the knead it on the worktop for ten minutes. DO NOT ADD FLOUR! Transfer it to a large bowl, cover and allow to stand at room temp for 1 hour. After 1 hour, place the bowl into the fridge to chill for a further 2 hours.  This bit is important – it chills the dough to a cold clay-like texture so that you can shape it easily. So nicely chilled and firm, time to split the dough into 8 equal portions – approx 128g each. Flatten each portion of dough out, gather the edges into the middle and then flip the ball over.  Using a caged hand over the top of the ball with your fingers touching the work-surface move your hand in a clockwise circle to neaten the ball shape.

Set them all onto a lined or well-greased baking tray. Cover them loosely with a sheet of clingfilm and let them rise until nearly doubled in size. This does take a while 2-3 hours at normal room temp, longer if its cold.  The dough is cold from the fridge and needs to come up to room temp before it will start rising. Be patient and if your dough won’t get going move it to a warmer spot, a sunny window ledge should do the trick.

Now preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180c/Gas Mark 4. When the buns are ready for the oven double brush them with egg wash for a lovely golden finish. Bake in the oven for 22 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

To assemble the burgers, blitz together the two meats in a food processor until combined but not mush (technical term). Season well then form into a big ball, pop it in a bowl and cover with cling film while you prepare the onion rings.

For the onion rings. Preheat the oven to 230C. Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika and 2 tsp of salt. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Add half the flour mixture to the buttermilk and beat until smooth and thickened. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil and remaining 2 tsp of salt. Lightly dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture and then drop into the buttermilk. Drain the excess batter and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on the baking sheets in a single layer then place in the oven. Cook until golden brown, 14 to 20 minutes, turning them over half way through cooking time.

To make your burger sauce mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and add more of whatever you think is lacking. Burger sauce is a very personal thing so I have given you a rough guideline to play around with.

Finally, divide the meat into eight equal parts, shape into balls then flatten with the palm of your hand. Place under a hot grill and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side depending on how you like your meat cooked.

To assemble, slice the brioche buns in half and spread the burger sauce liberally on both sides. On the base start with lettuce, then the burger itself followed by cheese, tomato and finally a couple of onion rings. Serve with wedges or chips - I went for sweet potato wedges!